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Sunak’s ratings fall after his big week – politicalbetting.com

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  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,598
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,068

    Sean_F said:

    carnforth said:

    "Gas the Jews" shout crowd on steps of Sydney Opera House:

    https://x.com/australianja/status/1711501583295680694

    Why is it that supporters of the Palestinian cause leave no stone unturned in their determination to repel people?
    Yanis Varoufakis is doing his bit: “The criminals here are not Hamas…the criminals are Europeans” for remaining silent “as long as it’s Palestinians who die and not the occupiers”.

    https://x.com/redstreamnet/status/1711025426867380254
    Varoufakis is a jerk of the first order.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    edited October 2023

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Are they for poaching in shallow water in a frying pan, as per the picture?

    I have a couple of these kits of "air fryer" accessories, which come with 27 things in a small box, of which about 19 are useful.

    I had a mini mould for 7 "egg bites", which are so nice that none have yet reached the freezer, and a larger mould which seems to be actual egg size - will give it a try.

    The other new discovery is a mister for cooking oil, which is a brilliant device.
    Yes - I use about an inch of water, with the eggs in the moulds (not need to float).
    I love poached eggs and I got these

    Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker - Nonstick 4 Egg Poaching Cups - Stainless Steel Egg Poacher Pan FDA Certified Food Grade Safe PFOA Free with Bonus Spatula https://amzn.eu/d/1G7FBAy


    Perfect nearly every time. Zero hassle
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,042
    edited October 2023
    His new book on Technofeudalism looks relatively interesting, but he's falling more often into the trap of being a bit of a deliberate controversialist these days, which is disappointing.

    Disappointing, because he has been at times in his life reasonably interesting. "The Global Minotaur" was another quite interesting book from his stable.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,100
    Leon said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Are they for poaching in shallow water in a frying pan, as per the picture?

    I have a couple of these kits of "air fryer" accessories, which come with 27 things in a small box, of which about 19 are useful.

    I had a mini mould for 7 "egg bites", which are so nice that none have yet reached the freezer, and a larger mould which seems to be actual egg size - will give it a try.

    The other new discovery is a mister for cooking oil, which is a brilliant device.
    Yes - I use about an inch of water, with the eggs in the moulds (not need to float).
    I love poached eggs and I got these

    Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker - Nonstick 4 Egg Poaching Cups - Stainless Steel Egg Poacher Pan FDA Certified Food Grade Safe PFOA Free with Bonus Spatula https://amzn.eu/d/1G7FBAy


    Perfect nearly every time. Zero hassle
    My Mom used one of these in the seventies. Effectively steaming the eggs.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,347
    edited October 2023

    His new book on Technofeudalism looks relatively interesting, but he's falling more often into the trap of being a bit of a deliberate controversialist these days, which is disappointing.

    Disappointing, because he has been at times in his life reasonably interesting. "The Global Minotaur" was another quite interesting book from his stable.

    It doesn't though. Its Big Dom level stuff, a very small number of big tech are too powerful, particularly because of the power of the cloud / datacentres, ok, I think we know that...and the solution...rip down capitalism, and here is my modern twist on Marxism to fix it, no bosses, no borders, everybody votes for each others work duties and pay, problem solved...because it worked at Valve 15 years ago when they only had a few 100 employees.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659
    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,169

    His new book on Technofeudalism looks relatively interesting, but he's falling more often into the trap of being a bit of a deliberate controversialist these days, which is disappointing.

    Disappointing, because he has been at times in his life reasonably interesting. "The Global Minotaur" was another quite interesting book from his stable.

    As with a lot of commentators with less-than-mainstream views, he can end up looking for validation/clicks, or going down a very extreme rabbit hole.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,042
    edited October 2023

    His new book on Technofeudalism looks relatively interesting, but he's falling more often into the trap of being a bit of a deliberate controversialist these days, which is disappointing.

    Disappointing, because he has been at times in his life reasonably interesting. "The Global Minotaur" was another quite interesting book from his stable.

    It doesn't though. Its Big Dom level stuff, a very small number of big tech are too powerful, particularly because of the power of the cloud, ok, I think we know that...and the solution...rip down capitalism, and here is my modern twist on Marxism to fix it, no bosses, no borders, everybody votes for each others work duties and pay.
    Isn't that his previous one, though, where he talks about his ideal government ?
    Unless the blueprint is in the new one too. I thought the new one was about how Big Tech is no longer capitalist, and the previous one was about his ideal economic organisation, of a sort of libertarian-socialist-capitalist variety.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,347
    edited October 2023

    His new book on Technofeudalism looks relatively interesting, but he's falling more often into the trap of being a bit of a deliberate controversialist these days, which is disappointing.

    Disappointing, because he has been at times in his life reasonably interesting. "The Global Minotaur" was another quite interesting book from his stable.

    It doesn't though. Its Big Dom level stuff, a very small number of big tech are too powerful, particularly because of the power of the cloud, ok, I think we know that...and the solution...rip down capitalism, and here is my modern twist on Marxism to fix it, no bosses, no borders, everybody votes for each others work duties and pay.
    Isn't that his previous one, though, where he talks about his ideal government ?
    Unless those solutions are in the new one too.
    Well this was what he said in his interview with UnHerd as his prescription for solving Technofeudalism. That every business should be run on this premise and that would free the people, because it worked brilliantly at Valve.

    As I say, its very Big Dom. Identify a real problem, I don't think many disagree that these small number of companies have extraordinary power over the globe (excluding China, who have their own versions) by virtual of cloud compute (also he didn't mention the fact that as we have to use these services they get the data that nobody else can get, so its self reinforcing moat). This isn't capitalism, as you can't really compete in a fair market. OK.

    But then when pushed on ok, so the solution, it sounded like a 5 year old with caryons.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    edited October 2023
    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
    Talking of courgettes, I recently did a Red Thai curry (Aldi meal kit for 2) using sliced chicken breast and courgettes / sweetcorn / celery (of all things) and it came out tasting really summery, which is just what I need at present.

    And still talking of air fryers, I'm just discovering how many glass oven->freezer with dish washable lid food containers I am going to need to buy, and it will cost nearly as much as the air fryer did. But will give me a couple of dozen crumbles in the freezer for the winter months.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,207
    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,598
    MattW said:

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
    Talking of courgettes, I recently did a Red Thai curry (Aldi meal kit for 2) using sliced chicken breast and courgettes / sweetcorn / celery (of all things) and it came out tasting really summery, which is just what I need at present.
    Hmm, fennel might swap well for celery?
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659
    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
    Talking of courgettes, I recently did a Red Thai curry (Aldi meal kit for 2) using sliced chicken breast and courgettes / sweetcorn / celery (of all things) and it came out tasting really summery, which is just what I need at present.
    Hmm, fennel might swap well for celery?
    Yes - it would. I would have to go and hunt for fennel in Morrisons or the farms shop, or grow it myself. And I am still at the basic "hacking back the growth to find the garden" stage of post-long-term-medical-treatment garden recovery.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,598
    MattW said:

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
    Talking of courgettes, I recently did a Red Thai curry (Aldi meal kit for 2) using sliced chicken breast and courgettes / sweetcorn / celery (of all things) and it came out tasting really summery, which is just what I need at present.

    And still talking of air fryers, I'm just discovering how many glass oven->freezer with dish washable lid food containers I am going to need to buy, and it will cost nearly as much as the air fryer did. But will give me a couple of dozen crumbles in the freezer for the winter months.
    Those air fryer things are on the front page of the Lakeland website. Might have a look myself.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,347
    edited October 2023
    Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, has told Al-Nassr management that he wants to renew his contract until 2027 with the Saudi Pro League club.

    I bet he does....by the time he has finished playing he will be able to buy the whole of Madeira.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    This is half true for the most part. In Warminster we are throwing up houses at pace. You might argue that more needs to be done, but we are not refusing to build houses. From my department we have over a dozen students carrying out research projects round the world for a semester as part of their degree - and yes, most are in Europe. I have hosted and will continue to hose EU students for projects in Bath. Infrastructure is being built - the Elizabeth line opened recently and many other projects continue apace (the A303 in Somerset for instance).

    Its easy to criticise and throw mud, but governing is hard. I am always reminded of student union elections. The candidates big up their plans for the year in office only to get elected and get told the limits of what is possible.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,676
    kinabalu said:

    Cyclefree said:

    kinabalu said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Justin Trudeau has all the sex appeal of a pint of milk. A lot of boys - just before puberty - look like their mothers. You can see it in school plays when they play female parts. Then they grow into men. Justin looks like someone who has never grown up

    Can't think of any male politician in the UK who is remotely fanciable. Most of them can't even dress well.

    Quite admire Rayner for making something of herself from a difficult background. That is worth celebrating. Whether she will be good in office is another matter.

    Barry Gardiner?
    Absolutely not.
    He's my idea of what an attractive older man looks like. In shape but not to a silly self-conscious degree. Dresses understated neat no frills. Beard always in hand, like a piece of fine topiary. Twinkly eyes. But anyway, let's not wallow in it.
    Your banging on about your favourite Labour Haileyburian again.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 27,993
    edited October 2023
    ...
    Dura_Ace said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    A Spectator article about how woke has degraded the security apparati of the Israeli state would be money for nothing. Somebody should write one. They are the only armed forces in the world where you can request vegan boots. And now they are getting the shit kicked out of them by raggy lads in Adidas trackies. Coincidence? No.
    If only we knew of such a writer.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,325
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
    This would be great if it were possible to articulate a fundamental set of core principles and political philosophy underlying their editorial line. Without that they are not doing the thinking. They have drifted into elitist pragmatism and running commentary. It's an OK read but not worth paying for.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
    This would be great if it were possible to articulate a fundamental set of core principles and political philosophy underlying their editorial line. Without that they are not doing the thinking. They have drifted into elitist pragmatism and running commentary. It's an OK read but not worth paying for.
    I wasn't complimenting the publication.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843

    ...

    Dura_Ace said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    A Spectator article about how woke has degraded the security apparati of the Israeli state would be money for nothing. Somebody should write one. They are the only armed forces in the world where you can request vegan boots. And now they are getting the shit kicked out of them by raggy lads in Adidas trackies. Coincidence? No.
    If only we knew such a writer.
    Too on the nose. The provocative and readable article waits for an Israeli atrocity and then blames it on the woke soldiers and their uncompromising, vegan values.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,042
    edited October 2023
    Is the New Statesman still much good, these days ?

    Haven't read much of that for ages, reading as I do the LRB more often, these days.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 11,678
    edited October 2023
    I went to Fenwick Park yesterday and learnt something rather nice that I did not know and seems like a good quiz question although seeing as they made a film of it I guess it is actually pretty well known and it is just me being ignorant:

    Why does no baseball player wear number 42?

    PS except for one day of the year when all players wear 42.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659
    biggles said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
    The vast majority of young people want to rejoin, presumably that is some kind of false consciousness on their part?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114

    biggles said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
    The vast majority of young people want to rejoin, presumably that is some kind of false consciousness on their part?
    And if that continues, I'm sure it will eventually happen. However what most seems to have upset PB members is queues on their holidays at airports - a fairly trivial issue to resolve, if the will is there.
  • RazedabodeRazedabode Posts: 3,027
    Err.. what’s happened here then?

    Finnish government to make announcement on gas pipeline leak in Gulf of Finland
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659

    ...

    Dura_Ace said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    A Spectator article about how woke has degraded the security apparati of the Israeli state would be money for nothing. Somebody should write one. They are the only armed forces in the world where you can request vegan boots. And now they are getting the shit kicked out of them by raggy lads in Adidas trackies. Coincidence? No.
    If only we knew of such a writer.
    ChatGPT could knock this out in seconds.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Carnyx said:

    Carnyx said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    As you imply, why would you? I use silicone egg holders and boiling water - takes a few minutes to perfect poached eggs.

    https://amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Poachers-Poaching-Hanging-Brilliant/dp/B0BXBPVJT8/ref=asc_df_B0BXBPVJT8?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814287069476&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413759602544&psc=1
    Mrs C uses a frying pan of onions, fennel, capers, and hot smoked salmon as the (admittedly rather lumpy) working fluid, to be served with pasta. Even simpler.
    PS I forgot the aubergines or courgettes! Idiot.
    Talking of courgettes, I recently did a Red Thai curry (Aldi meal kit for 2) using sliced chicken breast and courgettes / sweetcorn / celery (of all things) and it came out tasting really summery, which is just what I need at present.

    And still talking of air fryers, I'm just discovering how many glass oven->freezer with dish washable lid food containers I am going to need to buy, and it will cost nearly as much as the air fryer did. But will give me a couple of dozen crumbles in the freezer for the winter months.
    Those air fryer things are on the front page of the Lakeland website. Might have a look myself.
    As ever great for some things, poor for others eg poached eggs.

    Suprisingly small cooking spaces - mine is one of these below, with one drawer being dxwxh 22x19x12cm and the other 22x13x12cm. When the accessories first arrive it feels like dolls crockery. The 5.5" pizza pan was a new one on me.

    Sort of half way between a microwave and an oven. Rough recommendations are time -20% and temp -20C compared to cooking in an oven.

    I can batch cook half a dozen one or two person crumbles, which will be more effective once I have the correct size cook->store->freeze->table containers.

    I have this as my air fryer from Tefal. Recommend, but look around as there are big differences eg some have a griddle on top or can steam more easily.
    https://shop.tefal.co.uk/easy-fry-dual-air-fryer-grill-ey905b-coal-8-3l

    and a selection of this sort of thing for cooking / storage (to fit in size and portion to allow air circulation):
    https://www.procook.co.uk/product/procook-lock-fresh-airtight-glass-storage-dish-350ml

    Tefal and Procook both do ranges of sizes from 350-400ml up to several litres (also in their shops). There are also ranges from Amazon etc, but watch that the lids are dishwasher safe. Wherever they are from they start at ~£4-5 a piece.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,269
    kinabalu said:

    Cyclefree said:

    kinabalu said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Justin Trudeau has all the sex appeal of a pint of milk. A lot of boys - just before puberty - look like their mothers. You can see it in school plays when they play female parts. Then they grow into men. Justin looks like someone who has never grown up

    Can't think of any male politician in the UK who is remotely fanciable. Most of them can't even dress well.

    Quite admire Rayner for making something of herself from a difficult background. That is worth celebrating. Whether she will be good in office is another matter.

    Barry Gardiner?
    Absolutely not.
    He's my idea of what an attractive older man looks like. In shape but not to a silly self-conscious degree. Dresses understated neat no frills. Beard always in hand, like a piece of fine topiary. Twinkly eyes. But anyway, let's not wallow in it.
    If you fancy him, be my guest.

    Not for me.

    And no I am not going to say what my type is.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,122
    Apparently, growing up in a pebble-dashed semi makes you working class.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,361
    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    I've enjoyed the various contortions on cycling too. Desperately trying to find a way to hate it.

    It's why the Spectator is good, actually. Particularly at a time when the Conservatives are doing so badly. You can taste the anguish.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843

    biggles said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
    The vast majority of young people want to rejoin, presumably that is some kind of false consciousness on their part?
    It’s a proxy for “sticking it to the Tories”. In their own way, they are being conservative and pining for a past that never was.

    On average, Labour are progressive and the Tories conservative, so it wouldn’t surprise me if ten years from now the Tories contain the “rejoin the EU” headbangers, full of false nostalgia, while Labour has forgotten all about it and moved on.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,506
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
    This would be great if it were possible to articulate a fundamental set of core principles and political philosophy underlying their editorial line. Without that they are not doing the thinking. They have drifted into elitist pragmatism and running commentary. It's an OK read but not worth paying for.
    Talking of the Speccie, this is rather startling and worth a read:
    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-your-car-snooping-on-your-sex-life/

    Though to be honest, I do rather pity those who allow their car (or indeed anything else!) to access their internet browsing history.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 27,993
    ...
    tlg86 said:

    Apparently, growing up in a pebble-dashed semi makes you working class.

    Unaffordable to the working hoi polloi these days.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843

    biggles said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
    The vast majority of young people want to rejoin, presumably that is some kind of false consciousness on their part?
    And if that continues, I'm sure it will eventually happen. However what most seems to have upset PB members is queues on their holidays at airports - a fairly trivial issue to resolve, if the will is there.
    By contrast I have found most airport queues shorter recently. Mostly because we have biometric passports and I don’t have kids (who can’t use them). I have strolled past a long, angry queue of Europeans at several airports on Greek and Spanish islands.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659
    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,160

    Is the New Statesman still much good, these days ?

    Haven't read much of that for ages, reading as I do the LRB more often, these days.

    Andrew Marr is writing for them these days. Always an enjoyable and enlightening read.

  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,169
    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    I get mine from Waitrose!
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Don’t trigger me. The sight of good avocados being wasted simply fulfilling the role of butter for toast, and failing to achieve their real promise, makes me said.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,068
    biggles said:

    biggles said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    The sad thing is, I agree with your examples until we get to the obvious nonsense of “shutting them out of Europe”. Partly because it’s piss easy to get a work visa in most EU countries, but mostly because 95% of Brits never went for work anyway.

    That you cite it shows the old post-war fantasy of a European dream that some still cling to as they line for a past that’s gone and never really existed.

    We will know are finally moving on as a society when this antiquated thinking falls away. The good thing is that people who start to grow up under the next Labour government won’t be able to lazily blame all our troubles on Brexit, and the nation might finally stop talking about it.
    The vast majority of young people want to rejoin, presumably that is some kind of false consciousness on their part?
    And if that continues, I'm sure it will eventually happen. However what most seems to have upset PB members is queues on their holidays at airports - a fairly trivial issue to resolve, if the will is there.
    By contrast I have found most airport queues shorter recently. Mostly because we have biometric passports and I don’t have kids (who can’t use them). I have strolled past a long, angry queue of Europeans at several airports on Greek and Spanish islands.
    I can't say I've had any problems travelling on the Continent.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,361
    edited October 2023

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    Cookie said:

    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
    This would be great if it were possible to articulate a fundamental set of core principles and political philosophy underlying their editorial line. Without that they are not doing the thinking. They have drifted into elitist pragmatism and running commentary. It's an OK read but not worth paying for.
    Talking of the Speccie, this is rather startling and worth a read:
    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-your-car-snooping-on-your-sex-life/

    Though to be honest, I do rather pity those who allow their car (or indeed anything else!) to access their internet browsing history.
    For me the issue with the Speccie is that it doesn't have the depth to support its breadth, and is therefore too superficial. That will not last well. They also go in now for Telegraph style self-indulgent provocation.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843
    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,659
    Cookie said:

    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    It's the house magazine of the well off who want someone to do their thinking for them.
    This would be great if it were possible to articulate a fundamental set of core principles and political philosophy underlying their editorial line. Without that they are not doing the thinking. They have drifted into elitist pragmatism and running commentary. It's an OK read but not worth paying for.
    Talking of the Speccie, this is rather startling and worth a read:
    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-your-car-snooping-on-your-sex-life/

    Though to be honest, I do rather pity those who allow their car (or indeed anything else!) to access their internet browsing history.
    Do Spectator readers have sex lives?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    blockquote class="Quote" rel="OnlyLivingBoy">
    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.

    An entire life missing poached eggs.

    A veritable tragedy. As Bertie Wooster might say.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,361
    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,506

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    I've got no truck with any cultural developments since about 1996, and, moreover, will fry pretty much anything*, but poached is my egg of choice.

    *fried Christmas pudding is a boxing day treat. Along with fried potatoes.
  • SirNorfolkPassmoreSirNorfolkPassmore Posts: 7,120
    edited October 2023
    Nigelb said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    A Spectator article about how woke has degraded the security apparati of the Israeli state would be money for nothing. Somebody should write one. They are the only armed forces in the world where you can request vegan boots. And now they are getting the shit kicked out of them by raggy lads in Adidas trackies. Coincidence? No.
    I've always thought you'd be an ideal Spectator transport correspondent, in the extraordinarily unlikely circumstance you'd want the gig.

    You could take the piss without 90% of the readership noticing.
    Now woke cyclists are ruining cricket.

    Braverman hits out at Left's weaponisation of pavements.

    Khan's cruel assault on diesel hearses.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,676
    biggles said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Don’t trigger me. The sight of good avocados being wasted simply fulfilling the role of butter for toast, and failing to achieve their real promise, makes me said.
    Avocados a) finance the drugs trade; and b) take valuable natural resources (water, land) from areas they are grown at the expense of indigenous people.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,843
    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,042
    edited October 2023
    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    That really is interesting.

    It also seems to follow on from the general way things are going, with Thomas Heatherwick's anti-Le Corbusier prog on R4 this morning, as a trendy, aparently left-of-centre urbanite designer favouring a lot of more classical and traditional architectural principles for their emotion.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,676
    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    You can get poached egg (paper, same as coffee filter I believe) envelopes which, if they don't fall over in the pan immediately, do a good job of unfaffing poaching eggs.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,506
    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,676
    The Speccie, meanwhile, and notwithstanding some great contributors, is a vile, bigoted, small-minded rag run by toffs who laugh at their petit bourgeois, Hyacinth Bouquet readership.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,179
    edited October 2023
    Looks like a Finnish gas pipeline has been sabotaged.

    https://x.com/disclosetv/status/1711698250737020972
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215
    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,411
    GIN1138 said:

    UK on course to have worst-performing G7 economy in election year
    Britain’s economy will underperform Russia and Ukraine, warns IMF
    ...
    The IMF said higher interest rates were weighing on households and businesses as it downgraded its UK growth forecast from 1pc in 2024 to just 0.6pc.

    It warned that UK inflation is expected to remain the highest in the G7 in 2023 and 2024, with Mr Sunak only just on track to meet his goal of halving the headline rate by the end of next year.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/10/10/uk-on-course-worst-performing-g7-economy/ (£££)

    MFI's "forecasts" are about as reliable as their wardrobes in the 1980s...
    To be fair, a number of people wanted an MFI product in their bedrooms.

    IMF, politicians, not so much…
  • The Rest Is Politics -- Theresa May part 2

    Does Theresa May regret visiting Donald Trump? Her mission to end modern slavery and see a net-zero Britain. Why did she prefer Gordon Brown to Tony Blair as a Prime Minister? Does the former PM have any regrets over Brexit? How did things unfold behind the scenes after the Salisbury poisoning of a former Russian spy?

    In the second of two episodes, Rory and Alastair are joined once again by former Conservative Prime Minister, Theresa May.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpAuIBSGaI
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    It's so utterly ridiculous we aren't doing this already. Look at the places where people REALLY want to live, they are full of tallish period houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what people WANT, trouble is they are so desirable they are too expensive for most

    So build more! DUH

    King Charles was right all those decades ago. Well done Starmer and Labour - if they actually do this

    They'll have to slap the developers who want to build cheap shoddy redbrick boxy @BartholomewRoberts shit and make as fat a profit as possible, but fuck em
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Very glad to see that Starmer is triggering the Momentum wallies with his apparent 'refusal to condemn Israel'.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    TOPPING said:

    The Speccie, meanwhile, and notwithstanding some great contributors, is a vile, bigoted, small-minded rag run by toffs who laugh at their petit bourgeois, Hyacinth Bouquet readership.

    How do you know if you never read it?
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,100
    Nigelb said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
    Vegan scrambled eggs, made from Tofu, are supposed to be excellent too.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,300
    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    Guidance will specify a focus on “gentle urban development” emulating five-storey townhouses built during the 18th and 19th centuries."

    - Times £££

    YES!

    A great idea. I believe that Eaton Place has among the highest housing density in the
    IK. Density, thus services, and great design can and should go hand in hand.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 49,411

    Cyclefree said:

    @Cyclefree

    Thanks for recommending The Great Post Office Scandal, by Nick Wallis. It is riveting, and full of life lessons.

    No need to tell you what you already know but this must surely be the worst UK scandal of my lifetime.

    It is a thoroughly instructive example of how the justice system can fail, and how far reaching the consequences can be when it does.

    Yes - the legal failures are some of the very worst aspects of this. As well as the failures of the politicians to control a state owned body. This latter has implications for our politics given the likely approach of a Labour government. It will be worth exploring both these aspects more fully. I intend doing so tho' I don't want to try people's patience on this here too much.
    It is worthy of a lifetime's study, but not here, I agree.

    I would appreciate it however if you could occasionally drop in with updates. At the moment, the lawyers seem to be getting it in the neck. I expect it will be the Post Office managers soon, and then its Board. Can't wait to see what excuses Vennells comes up with.

    Apparently she is a near neighbour of Mike Smithson. I wonder if the two are acquainted, by chance?
    To me, what is fascinating way that people began to realise what was happening, but ignored it. On the grounds that “due process was being followed”. As in, if I fill out all the forms, I am ok and not making waves. So I will ignore the people being sent to prison, wrongly, because my paperwork is all lined up.

    The builder who is currently working for me, started out studying law in Eastern Europe. He switched to building, because he said that the law was being used as a moral framework, when he saw it as having no inherent moral structure. Just a process.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571

    Nigelb said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    https://www.ft.com/content/70d1b7bf-6ef9-47e0-a749-80dd9d924420

    This piece by Andy Haldane on the disastrous short term thinking on HS2 is very good. A properly connected UK could be an economic powerhouse, instead our penny-pinching attitude to infrastructure will consign us to life in the second or third tier of nations. It really makes my blood boil - this and Brexit - just stupid policies that make us poorer.

    There's a piece in this week's speccie on HS2. Very anti. Whole thing is a waste of money as all it does is shave a few minutes off the time businessmen will take to get to London and they don't care as they can use wifi on the train.

    No mention of capacity whatsoever.
    The Spectator is the in-house journal of people who want our country to fail (even if they don't realise it).
    The poor old Spectator is a victim of the collapse and contradictions of centre right/right ideology. No-one is able to articulate a programme for the next decade combining Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, low tax, low spend, manageable debt, high growth, free trade and protectionism, deregulation, free thought, home owning, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, the small platoons, faith, family and flag.

    Matt Goodwin looks as if he is having a try at centre right issues, for example: (speech to Reform)

    https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1711504600153366791?s=20

    but it all collapses on a moment's reflection.
    Yup. It really makes me furious because there is an incredible well spring of talent and ambition in this country's young people that is being crushed by the decisions taken by the older generation. Refusing to build infrastructure. Refusing to build houses. Under investing in education. Shutting them out of Europe. It is a programme for national failure, cheered on by "patriots" holding fast to their own privileges and an outdated and discredited vision.
    “The poor old spectator” is posting record profits the last few years, has tripled its readership in 20 years, and has now expanded into podcasts, TV and Australia/USA

    It is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Barclay media sale and can probably cope without your pity. TBH
    Not sure where you're getting the idea that I pity them from.
    A Spectator article about how woke has degraded the security apparati of the Israeli state would be money for nothing. Somebody should write one. They are the only armed forces in the world where you can request vegan boots. And now they are getting the shit kicked out of them by raggy lads in Adidas trackies. Coincidence? No.
    I've always thought you'd be an ideal Spectator transport correspondent, in the extraordinarily unlikely circumstance you'd want the gig.

    You could take the piss without 90% of the readership noticing.
    Now woke cyclists are ruining cricket.

    Braverman hits out at Left's weaponisation of pavements.

    Khan's cruel assault on diesel hearses.
    Archive.ph does not seem to have much of a problem with the Spectator paywall.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,269
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    Agreed. Labour's proposals on housing are encouraging.

    Lots of detail needed. Planning and development and local councils can be - if not properly managed - a petri dish for corruption. But if managed well, we could build what we need and build well and create something lasting and beautiful. That would be a real legacy. One can but hope.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,100

    Looks like a Finnish gas pipeline has been sabotaged.

    https://x.com/disclosetv/status/1711698250737020972

    The articles I have read reports of a drop of pressure but no seismic disturbance to indicate sabotage.

    Still, with the conflict in the Middle East and this, gas prices have spiked a fair bit.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,299
    Poached eggs: A couple of drops of malt vinegar in the just-stopped-boiling water helps the egg white bind together. Works a treat, as I am about to prove.

    I suspect that will be not just my first but my last contribution to the cooking channel.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    Guidance will specify a focus on “gentle urban development” emulating five-storey townhouses built during the 18th and 19th centuries."

    - Times £££

    YES!

    A great idea. I believe that Eaton Place has among the highest housing density in the
    IK. Density, thus services, and great design can and should go hand in hand.
    Gentle density, with noble Georgian propotions, proper cycling infra, railway stations, parks and greenery, and pubs and shops from the start: that is what we need. It is what King Chas has been pioneering for decades. Not everyone likes Poundbury or Nansledan but my God they are better than 97% of the dreck built elsewhere

    This would genuinely be enough to get me voting Labour - and with enthusiasm!
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,506
    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    It's so utterly ridiculous we aren't doing this already. Look at the places where people REALLY want to live, they are full of tallish period houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what people WANT, trouble is they are so desirable they are too expensive for most

    So build more! DUH

    King Charles was right all those decades ago. Well done Starmer and Labour - if they actually do this

    They'll have to slap the developers who want to build cheap shoddy redbrick boxy @BartholomewRoberts shit and make as fat a profit as possible, but fuck em
    I rather like these, in Salford - to me, this is how we should be doing urbanism:
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4840844,-2.2618216,3a,75y,258.84h,90.61t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPQbAiKihnPR4AnEP2XIpAQ!2e0!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid=PQbAiKihnPR4AnEP2XIpAQ&cb_client=maps_sv.tactile.gps&w=203&h=100&yaw=151.07037&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4842915,-2.2630958,3a,75y,55.24h,94.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNe6GbvscK3dChsz8DL0NjQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    edited October 2023
    Actually, almost everyone in Cornwall likes Nansledan


    https://nansledan.com/
  • MattWMattW Posts: 22,571
    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    It's so utterly ridiculous we aren't doing this already. Look at the places where people REALLY want to live, they are full of tallish period houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what people WANT, trouble is they are so desirable they are too expensive for most

    So build more! DUH

    King Charles was right all those decades ago. Well done Starmer and Labour - if they actually do this

    They'll have to slap the developers who want to build cheap shoddy redbrick boxy @BartholomewRoberts shit and make as fat a profit as possible, but fuck em
    The main thing about tall Georgian houses is the horribly poor quality of the build - they were the thrown up speculative rot-boxes of their day.

    What do you think they were covered in 'plaster' in various forms to hide, and fall down almost at random somewhere every year?

    Well-off Londoners never looked horses in the mouth.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114
    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
    Vegan scrambled eggs, made from Tofu, are supposed to be excellent too.
    But are not eggs. Surely its scramble Tofu?! :D

    When I am PM I will ban using the name of something in vegan food (no vegan bacon, no vegan eggs) etc.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114

    Poached eggs: A couple of drops of malt vinegar in the just-stopped-boiling water helps the egg white bind together. Works a treat, as I am about to prove.

    I suspect that will be not just my first but my last contribution to the cooking channel.

    Pictures or it didn't happen. I've spent too many hours scrubbing pans with egg white stuck to them (usually on holiday without my normal cooking stuff!)
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 8,361
    edited October 2023
    Looks like there was a general shift away from the SNP just before Rutherglen. The next poll will be interesting.

    https://twitter.com/electpoliticsuk/status/1711696303611072515?t=qHl8sQRKxeDCHmH0pXo4kQ&s=19
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    algarkirk said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    glw said:

    Good morning, everyone.

    Rayner's vastly overrated. The 'scum' comments were wretched.

    She hasn't actually done anything yet to be rated on.

    Going to be fun to watch those who reckon governing is easy get confronted by the reality: it's mostly about 51:49 decisions. And the 49 who lose out know how to use social media.

    One one level, they will be lucky. They won't face the combination of implementing Brexit, Covid, Ukraine and the consequent cost of living crisis all in one Parliament.

    On another, they'll be unlucky: trying to make 51:49 decisions as part of a rainbow coalition.

    A couple of years of that, then you can rate Rayner.
    Many of the things said about Rayner were said about Prescott. He didn't exactly shine when if office.
    I get the Prescott comparisons, but I think they’re quite different characters.
    Yes. If you place, in the imagination, Prescott and Rayner in sitcom settings, Prescott would be a comic butt of jokes, only funny by accident and a bit dim, Rayner would be funny and a doer and an attracter of attention.

    Rayner is both one of the people collecting an infant in the working class playground who never stops talking in a group, and shares a little something with celeb culture. Prescott doesn't do either.
    He did of course once cameo in a sitcom.
  • Israel has reportedly told the Egyptian Government that any Supply Vehicles which are seen attempting to enter the Gaza Strip will be Targeted by Airstrikes.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215
    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
    Vegan scrambled eggs, made from Tofu, are supposed to be excellent too.
    Had something like that in Korea.

    A bit flavourless, but as Leon said, it's all about taking a side with it - several actually.

    The ubiquity of tofu there meant that even barbecue restaurants which don't have it on the menu could be persuaded to make some for a vegetarian that this carnivore had dragged along.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114

    Cyclefree said:

    @Cyclefree

    Thanks for recommending The Great Post Office Scandal, by Nick Wallis. It is riveting, and full of life lessons.

    No need to tell you what you already know but this must surely be the worst UK scandal of my lifetime.

    It is a thoroughly instructive example of how the justice system can fail, and how far reaching the consequences can be when it does.

    Yes - the legal failures are some of the very worst aspects of this. As well as the failures of the politicians to control a state owned body. This latter has implications for our politics given the likely approach of a Labour government. It will be worth exploring both these aspects more fully. I intend doing so tho' I don't want to try people's patience on this here too much.
    It is worthy of a lifetime's study, but not here, I agree.

    I would appreciate it however if you could occasionally drop in with updates. At the moment, the lawyers seem to be getting it in the neck. I expect it will be the Post Office managers soon, and then its Board. Can't wait to see what excuses Vennells comes up with.

    Apparently she is a near neighbour of Mike Smithson. I wonder if the two are acquainted, by chance?
    To me, what is fascinating way that people began to realise what was happening, but ignored it. On the grounds that “due process was being followed”. As in, if I fill out all the forms, I am ok and not making waves. So I will ignore the people being sent to prison, wrongly, because my paperwork is all lined up.

    The builder who is currently working for me, started out studying law in Eastern Europe. He switched to building, because he said that the law was being used as a moral framework, when he saw it as having no inherent moral structure. Just a process.
    The law as just a process to be followed reached its apogee in the Third Reich. A sovereign government passing laws in its own country.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
    Vegan scrambled eggs, made from Tofu, are supposed to be excellent too.
    But are not eggs. Surely its scramble Tofu?! :D

    When I am PM I will ban using the name of something in vegan food (no vegan bacon, no vegan eggs) etc.
    It pretty much already is. Apart form burgers and sausages, which are more formats than food types.
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,299

    Poached eggs: A couple of drops of malt vinegar in the just-stopped-boiling water helps the egg white bind together. Works a treat, as I am about to prove.

    I suspect that will be not just my first but my last contribution to the cooking channel.

    Pictures or it didn't happen. I've spent too many hours scrubbing pans with egg white stuck to them (usually on holiday without my normal cooking stuff!)
    I don't do pictures. But I have been poaching perfect eggs for thirty years without having to scrub a pan, thanks to the vinegar and getting the water temperature right.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    It's so utterly ridiculous we aren't doing this already. Look at the places where people REALLY want to live, they are full of tallish period houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what people WANT, trouble is they are so desirable they are too expensive for most

    So build more! DUH

    King Charles was right all those decades ago. Well done Starmer and Labour - if they actually do this

    They'll have to slap the developers who want to build cheap shoddy redbrick boxy @BartholomewRoberts shit and make as fat a profit as possible, but fuck em
    I rather like these, in Salford - to me, this is how we should be doing urbanism:
    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4840844,-2.2618216,3a,75y,258.84h,90.61t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPQbAiKihnPR4AnEP2XIpAQ!2e0!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid=PQbAiKihnPR4AnEP2XIpAQ&cb_client=maps_sv.tactile.gps&w=203&h=100&yaw=151.07037&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4842915,-2.2630958,3a,75y,55.24h,94.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNe6GbvscK3dChsz8DL0NjQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
    Yes, those are nice, in a more modern way. Quite Dutch or German?

    Our continental cousins are often way ahead of us on urbanism, we need to humbly learn from them
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215

    Cyclefree said:

    @Cyclefree

    Thanks for recommending The Great Post Office Scandal, by Nick Wallis. It is riveting, and full of life lessons.

    No need to tell you what you already know but this must surely be the worst UK scandal of my lifetime.

    It is a thoroughly instructive example of how the justice system can fail, and how far reaching the consequences can be when it does.

    Yes - the legal failures are some of the very worst aspects of this. As well as the failures of the politicians to control a state owned body. This latter has implications for our politics given the likely approach of a Labour government. It will be worth exploring both these aspects more fully. I intend doing so tho' I don't want to try people's patience on this here too much.
    It is worthy of a lifetime's study, but not here, I agree.

    I would appreciate it however if you could occasionally drop in with updates. At the moment, the lawyers seem to be getting it in the neck. I expect it will be the Post Office managers soon, and then its Board. Can't wait to see what excuses Vennells comes up with.

    Apparently she is a near neighbour of Mike Smithson. I wonder if the two are acquainted, by chance?
    To me, what is fascinating way that people began to realise what was happening, but ignored it. On the grounds that “due process was being followed”. As in, if I fill out all the forms, I am ok and not making waves. So I will ignore the people being sent to prison, wrongly, because my paperwork is all lined up.

    The builder who is currently working for me, started out studying law in Eastern Europe. He switched to building, because he said that the law was being used as a moral framework, when he saw it as having no inherent moral structure. Just a process.
    Due process wasn't being followed, of course.
    Was being deliberately flouted.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,119
    edited October 2023
    Is it just me or does SKS talking about a decade in power (which implies at least two and may three, general election wins) before he's even won his first election seem kind of hubristic?

    Almost shades of Labour in 1992 and 2007... He should have a razor sharp focus on winning Election 24 and nothing else... The time for a victory rally/speech is after the victory, not before it...
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    MattW said:

    Leon said:

    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    IF Starmer actually does this, and gets rid of the Barratt style redbrick boxes blighting our fair land, I will vote for him TOMORROW

    "Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas and a string of new towns as he sets out plans for a decade in power."

    - Times £££

    Yes, me too.
    It's so utterly ridiculous we aren't doing this already. Look at the places where people REALLY want to live, they are full of tallish period houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what people WANT, trouble is they are so desirable they are too expensive for most

    So build more! DUH

    King Charles was right all those decades ago. Well done Starmer and Labour - if they actually do this

    They'll have to slap the developers who want to build cheap shoddy redbrick boxy @BartholomewRoberts shit and make as fat a profit as possible, but fuck em
    The main thing about tall Georgian houses is the horribly poor quality of the build - they were the thrown up speculative rot-boxes of their day.

    What do you think they were covered in 'plaster' in various forms to hide, and fall down almost at random somewhere every year?

    Well-off Londoners never looked horses in the mouth.
    Well I'm sitting right now, typing, in a classic London late-Georgian terrace house, Grade 2 listed, nearly 200 years old, and it isn't falling down as far as I can see

    And the windows are lovely and BIG, floor to ceiling, letting in tons of light. I love them, and I love my flat. Why shouldn't everyone have this?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114
    Eabhal said:

    Looks like there was a general shift away from the SNP just before Rutherglen. The next poll will be interesting.

    https://twitter.com/electpoliticsuk/status/1711696303611072515?t=qHl8sQRKxeDCHmH0pXo4kQ&s=19

    Is there a sense that the SNP has failed in its mission (independence) and now Scots are looking for parties better able to match their needs? Has the whiff of scandal and the loss of Sturgeon had an effect? Was Rutherglen a reaction bad covid behaviour?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 17,114
    GIN1138 said:

    Is it just me or does SKS talking about a decade in power (which implies at least two and may three, general election wins) before he's even won his first election seem kind of hubristic?

    Almost shades of Labour in 1992 and 2007... He should have a razor sharp focus on winning Election 24 and nothing else... The time for a victory rally/speech is after the victory, not before it...

    I have a sense that it 1997 Blair and Labour generally were stunned by the size of the win, and overall failed to be as bold as they could have gotten away with. Don't scare the horses (and the economy was actually rosy in 1997) left a decent inheritance, but not a lot done.

    Perhaps Starmer will bolder if a similar result ensues? Get things done quickly to lock them in. We can but hope.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,215

    Taz said:

    Nigelb said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    Eabhal said:

    biggles said:

    MattW said:

    Since this is all so serious, can we have a lighter thread too?

    Has ANYONE on PB, EVER, managed to cook a decent poached egg in an air fryer? How?

    Youtube is full of Soccer Mom's demanding how easy it is, and how perfect they are if you do thisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthisandthis.

    My current view is that a small pan of water is twice as easy, three time as quick, and works.

    Why use an air fryer? I get perfect poached eggs in a poacher - set white, runny yolks. Every time.

    (My boiled eggs are similalry reliable with solid white, runny yolks. I get our eggs from ex-Strictly dancer Flavia, which are often double-yolkers.)
    I get mine from hens.
    Where is all this love for poached eggs coming from? Aren't they just a kind of woke, low fat, poor man's fried egg, consumed by incel men in three quarter length jeans with avocado on a piece of sourdough? No wonder this country is going to the dogs.
    Poached is currently winning in the WhatsApp poll I have set up.

    However, that's what woke people think is woke. I would be interested to hear what the semi-conscious think.

    Incel eggs are "cornflakes with monster".
    Joking aside, I think poached eggs have a whiff of luxury because many of us can’t be bothered with the massive trail of excess white in the pan, and want to tap in to the magic powers of chefs instead.
    I always order poached when out for brunch for the same reason.

    Fried during the week, scrambled at the weekend. I eat about 20 eggs a week. The vegans hate me.
    Yes I love a good scrambled egg. Easy to master at home once you realise they contain… egg and butter.
    Try the addition of fresh grated turmeric as a variation.
    Vegan scrambled eggs, made from Tofu, are supposed to be excellent too.
    But are not eggs. Surely its scramble Tofu?! :D

    When I am PM I will ban using the name of something in vegan food (no vegan bacon, no vegan eggs) etc.
    Here's a recipe for the two together.
    https://futuredish.com/soondubu-egg-delicious-5-min-breakfast-bowl/
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,269
    edited October 2023

    Cyclefree said:

    @Cyclefree

    Thanks for recommending The Great Post Office Scandal, by Nick Wallis. It is riveting, and full of life lessons.

    No need to tell you what you already know but this must surely be the worst UK scandal of my lifetime.

    It is a thoroughly instructive example of how the justice system can fail, and how far reaching the consequences can be when it does.

    Yes - the legal failures are some of the very worst aspects of this. As well as the failures of the politicians to control a state owned body. This latter has implications for our politics given the likely approach of a Labour government. It will be worth exploring both these aspects more fully. I intend doing so tho' I don't want to try people's patience on this here too much.
    It is worthy of a lifetime's study, but not here, I agree.

    I would appreciate it however if you could occasionally drop in with updates. At the moment, the lawyers seem to be getting it in the neck. I expect it will be the Post Office managers soon, and then its Board. Can't wait to see what excuses Vennells comes up with.

    Apparently she is a near neighbour of Mike Smithson. I wonder if the two are acquainted, by chance?
    To me, what is fascinating way that people began to realise what was happening, but ignored it. On the grounds that “due process was being followed”. As in, if I fill out all the forms, I am ok and not making waves. So I will ignore the people being sent to prison, wrongly, because my paperwork is all lined up.

    The builder who is currently working for me, started out studying law in Eastern Europe. He switched to building, because he said that the law was being used as a moral framework, when he saw it as having no inherent moral structure. Just a process.
    Due process was not in fact being followed.

    But setting that aside for a moment, if you look at many previous infamous miscarriages of justice, there were significant failures by the lawyers and the legal system. They tended to be overlooked because of the far worse failings by the police and the forensic experts and others. One result of this is that there has not been the same in depth scrutiny of the investigative and prosecutorial functions, particularly lawyers' understanding of technical evidence. Nor the appellate process.

    The focus on disclosure failings for instance has obscured much more important questions which none of the Post Office investigative team appeared to ask themselves.

    - What is the purpose of an internal investigative function?
    - How should it approach its task?
    - To whom is it answerable?

    And many other questions besides.

    Those and many other questions now need answering. The answers need to address not just the appalling failings in this case but provide a template for all in-house investigative functions. Some of those answers have been thought about and provided by those who have set up and run effective investigations teams. (I have answers to these and have had to think about these issues. I do not pretend to know all the answers but am pretty certain that I have better answers than those who have never even realised what the questions are.)

    But that knowledge and the lessons to be learned from this (and other cases) need to be shared and discussed more widely.

    And, above all, what needs to be realised is that good process (law, for instance) is nothing without good judgment, which will always have a moral quality.

    The question is never just "Can we do this?" But "Should we?"

    Lots of problems in this world would not be as bad as they are if people asked themselves this more often than they do.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,557
    Eabhal said:

    Looks like there was a general shift away from the SNP just before Rutherglen. The next poll will be interesting.

    https://twitter.com/electpoliticsuk/status/1711696303611072515?t=qHl8sQRKxeDCHmH0pXo4kQ&s=19

    That's 59% for NO parties and 38% for YES parties

    Scottish indy is in the bin for the foreseeable future
This discussion has been closed.